Neighborhood 48H guide
Pike Place & the Waterfront: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
The market, the aquarium and Elliott Bay.
Seattle’s 1907 public market spills down the bluff above Elliott Bay, with fishmongers, produce stalls and the original Starbucks, and below it the rebuilt waterfront promenade leads to the Seattle Aquarium and the ferry terminal.
Photo gallery
Photo: Daniel Schwen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Antony-22 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
The market, the water and downtown on foot.
Who it's for: First-timers and food lovers.
Pros
- Market
- Waterfront
- Walkable
Cons
- Crowds
- Pricey
- Hilly
48H in Pike Place & the Waterfront
The market, the aquarium and Elliott Bay.
08:00 – Pike Place Market
Breakfast before the crowds.
11:00 – Seattle Aquarium
On the waterfront.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
Eat
Eat
Pike Place Market
85 Pike Street
Historic public market of produce, fish and food stalls, open daily.
Photo: Daniel Schwen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Outdoors
Outdoors
Waterfront Park
Alaskan Way
Rebuilt promenade along Elliott Bay, linked to the market by the Overlook Walk.
Photo: Antony-22 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Inn at the Market
Pike Place
Boutique hotel inside the market with a rooftop deck.
Check rates on Expedia →Hotel · Expedia
The Edgewater Hotel
Alaskan Way
Hotel on a pier over Elliott Bay.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Pike Place & the Waterfront.
In Seattle, a short-term rental operator needs a City operator licence, usually may run at most two units (one of them their own home), and must show the licence number (STR-OPLI-…) on every listing. Check for it before booking.
Browse vacation rentals in Pike Place & the Waterfront on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Seattle
- Downtown & Belltown — SAM, the sculpture park and bars.
- Capitol Hill & First Hill — Bars, bookshops and Volunteer Park.
- Pioneer Square — Seattle’s first neighbourhood and the stadiums.
- Queen Anne & Seattle Center — The Space Needle and Kerry Park views.
- South Lake Union — Lake Union, MOHAI and seaplanes.
- Ballard — Breweries, the Locks and Nordic heritage.
- University District — The UW campus and the Burke Museum.